Rotating cutting disk power mower



Sept. 26, 1950 J. MAY

ROTATING cumnc; DISK POWER MOWER Filed Jan. 22, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOSEPH L MAY:

Swt, 2%, E950 J. L. MAY 2,523,439-

ROTA'JIING CUTTING DISK POWER MOWER Filed Jan. 22. 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5

IN V EN TOR.

JOSEPH L. MAY BY Patented Sept. 26, 1950 ROTATING CUTTING DISK POWER MOWER Joseph L; May, Portland, Oreg. Application January 22, 1948, Serial No. 3,785

2 Claims (cite-25.4)

This invention relates to lawn mowers and more particularly to lawn mowers that are power driven. This application is a. continuation-inpart of my application Serial No. 755,073,filed June 1'7, 1947, now Patent 2,514,407. The primary object of the invention is to provide a rotary blade lawn mower having drive system that may be employed to rotate the blade and also to propel the mower over the ground surface.

It is another object of the invention to pro-- vide a power transmission system for a lawn mower that will permit selective driving and steering of the mower.

It is still anotherobject of this invention to provide a horizontal rotary blade lawn mower having guards surrounding the path of the blade for protecting the operator as well as the blade while in operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a lawn mower having means for pulling the grass laterally into the path of the blade.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a lawnmower having simplicity of design, economy of construction and efficiency of operation. I

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the inventionare set forthwith particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be'stbe understood from the following description of spe cific embodiments, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout and in which: Figure l is a plan view of my new and improved lawn mower particularly illustrating the transmission for driving the same over the ground surface, parts being'broken away for convenience of illustration, j

Figure 2 is aside view in elevation of the mower shown ine'Figure 'il, parts beingbroken away for convenience of illustration. I

Figure 3 is an inverted plan'yiew. of the lawn mower illustrating the design of the rotor and the means for controlling" the grass to be out.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view of the bearing for supportingthe rotor on the frameof the mower) i Figure'5 is afragmentaryperspective view illustrating the mounting on therotor for the cutter blades. i

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the control levers for controllingthe transmission sy tem for moving ,the mower about.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the rear portion of a modified which is providedwitharear guard.

Referring more specifically to the drawings; a lawn mower incorpo'ratingthe present invention comprises a frame l which is mounted for memower bility on rear wheels 2 and front wheels 5 and supports a horizontal blade rotor 6, as'best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rear wheels 2 are journalled on a cross-shaft 3 which is secured to the underside of the frame I by clamps 4. The front. wheels 5 extend forwardlyof the frame I tobe positioned beyond the cutting circle of the rotor blades, best illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. While these wheels appear to be similar to caster wheels, they are held in a fixed position to stand clear of the blades. It is to be noted, as shown in Fig. 3, that the wheels 2 and 5 lie withinthe lateral limits of the blades, t H

The cutting rotor 6is provided with a hub 1:. best shown in Fig. 4, which is fixedly adjusted to, the desired elevation on the vertical driving shaft 8 by means of akey way 9 cooperating and a set screw Ill. The rotor is locked against accidental removal from the shaftl8 by the retainer ring I l snapped around and'seated in' a groove adjacent the end of the shaft 8. The rotorB consists of a relatively thin body'portion 2|, having the re movable cutter blades 22 secured thereto within the recessed brackets 2|, s-hown inFig. 5. The body portion 2i of the rotor is shaped to' insure strength and rigidity.

The vertical shaft 8 is journalled within spaced bearings l2 which in turn are fixedly mounted within a vertically disposed tubular member 14; the 'lower bearing l2 being held in position bya dust proof retainer ring l3. The shaft 8 is held relative to the upper bearing "12 by the collar 20 which permits adjustment of the elevation of said shaft relative to the mower and to the motor; The vertical tubular member 14 has a flange l5 fixed-thereto; as by welding l6, and this flange is secured to thefr'ame l by the stud bolts l! which -'also pass through a'spacer l8 and anupper flange [8. The spacer l8 provides a'r'ela tively long' bearing support for the "shaft 8 to absorb the strain'ap'plied to the driven pulley l9 by=a source of power-(not here shown). "This source of power is usually a gasoline. motor mounted upon the rear area l8" of the frame, howeveryam electricmotor may be employed... One of the features of the present invention resides in guards 23 and 26. The guard 23 is pivotally mounted to the frame I by supporting arms 25 swung on eye bolts 24. The guards 26 are pivotally mounted to the sides of the frame I by the arms 28 which are pivoted on similar eye bolts 24. If desired, a guard 26' may be pivotally suspended-from the rear edge of the frame I by a hinge 28', as shown in Fig. 7. This rear guard 26' is pivoted outwardly to pass over any obstacles such aswootsor rocks. EIllwillloe noted that all .of .the guards may swing outwardly to permit access to the machine, but cannot swing inwardly into the path of the blades.

In order to keep the sideguards 5 .ata safe distance from the ends of the cutter 22,1 provide a deflecting guard 21 for catching the grass-and pulling the same in to the cutters, best illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. This is an important feature, as the mower can be brought relatively close to walls, hedges and the like, still pulling the grass into the .cutter, .but at the sam .time spacing the guards 26 asafe distance from .the cutters to protect .the .feet .of .the operator of the mower. g

A handle 29 is pivotally mounted to the frame I at iBU .and has ,handle bars .29Blocated on its opposite and :upperendr One-of the outstanding features ofniy-i-nrproved lawn mower is the method [of driving the 'same over the ground surface. A cross shaft 40 :is journalled within bearings flt-which in iturn are .fixedly mounted .to the brackets .42. "The brackets 4.2 are :pivotally mounted to the frame I ;at :43 by wayofthe bracket M. The position of the bearings and their brackets is regulated by the control rods 45 which are =pivota3lly connected to the control handles -46 at 48, the control handles =46, in turn, being pivotally connected at 4 l to the handle 292A. The control rods 45 are *pivotally connected to the bearing brackets AI at '49, the brackets being resilientlyretracted by the springs Ellywhich are fixedly securedto the frame I at 5'].

Friction drive rollers '52 are keyed to the shaft I for engagementfiwithjthe peripheries .of the wheels 2 when the control'handles '46 are operated. The shaft 'is .jin turn driven through the pulley 5,3 keyed to the same and the belt 5.4 which is driven from the pulleyi55 fixedly secured to the shaft ii. The driving pulleys .and'the belt 54 are enclo ed by a cover 55 which is ,hing d y secured .to the framel at 57 and .relea-sably secured to the frame I by therears 5.8 and wing nuts .53. j

I willnow describe the Operation of my new and impnovcdlawn mower. The shaft .8 is driven by either:an electricor-gas motor. This inturn drives the cross shaft 40. When it is'desired .to move the machine straight forward, both ofthe control handles 46 are pulled towards the handle bars 2.9Bibyathe operator. This pulls the control rods and :the upper ends .of the v:pivotally mounted brackets 42 ;-together with the :shaft and :the friction :rollers 52 into contact withthe tires of the wheels .2 driving themachine straight forward.

l 1 In the event it :is desired to turn-in either direction only one of the :control .handles 46 is pulled .by the operator. This will .pull .one of the friction :rollers 52 into enga ment with one of the wheels 2, which'will cause the machine to be driven-around in a circle. The only time th m when either or both of the handle bars are pulled by the operator towards the handle bars 293.

While I show a belt 54 driving the shaft 40 from the driven shaft 8, I'Would not care to be limited to this, as the shaft 40 could be the shaft of a motor, the motor taking the place of the pulley 53. The controlling of the control levers for bringing the friction rollers into engagement .with the wheels 2 would still operate under these conditions. i'Ih'is :system of drive is a very simple system and can be applied to other types of lawn mowers, or other uses.

, ,Althouehapertain specific embodiment of the sible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the ,prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims. That .whichis ,claimedTas new, .is:

. .1. .A mower comprising a frame, a vertically disposed shaft supported by .said frame, a horizontal rotor mountedon said shaft, mower blades carried by said rotor, means for driving saidsha'ft to rotate said .-.rotor,and revolvesaid' blades, rollers supporting :said frame .for mobility and being positioned within the lateral limits of the revolving path 'of saidwblades, and guides mounted at the sides of said frame and'having their forward ends angled-upwardly to extend laterally of the blade path and biasvegetation laterally of the 'bladesinto .said blade path.

2. A mower comprising, .in combination, a frame, a vertically disposed shaft supported -.by said frame, a horizontal .rotor .mounted on said shaft below said frame, mower bladescarriedby said rotor, drive means connected to said .shaft for driving said shaft to rotatesaidrotor and revolve said blades,wheelssupportingsaid frame for mobility, -.a pair of-said wheels being :spaced on a horizontal axis, ,a-horizontal shaft, hinges mountedon :said frame and su porting saidhorizontalzshaft' adjacent each .end thereof .toposition said shaft substantially parallel with said wheel axis but permit limited angular movement of saidshaftgfnictionrrollers carried @by said shaft for respective peripheral engagement with said spaced wwheels, belt-rdrive means between said vertical and .'-horizontal shafts for driving :said horizontal shaft while permitting movement thereof, springs connected between said frame and the *QP ositeuends of :said horizontal shaft for biasing ,the respective rollers from wheel ongagement, a handle connected to .said frame,

handle end thereof, and links extending between said levers and :the ends of said horizontal shaft chine will dcersdriven by :the "drive shaft 7 40- is respectively for selectively engaging the rollers with the wheels. JOSEPH L. MAY.

.REFEEENCES CITED The :followingreferences are of record in the file of this patentrzzly UNITED s'r 'rEs PATENTS Number I, ;.Name .Date A 1,627,252 Peters May 3,l92'7 1,805,921- 'Sharp May 19,1931 1,819,791 Reed Aug. 18,1931 1,992,494 Lundin Feb. .26, .1935 ,2,-1 88.z1-10 ,Fahnestock .Jan. 23,1940

Goodall July 23,1940 

